Cesc Fabregas has heaped praise on Martin Odegaard for embracing Arsenal captaincy, saying the Norwegian star reminds him of himself in the club’s midfield.
Odegaard was named club skipper for the 2022-23 season with Arsenal top of the Premier League heading into the north London derby against Tottenham having won six of their seven matches.
In 2008, Fabregas succeeded William Gallas as club captain at Arsenal at just 21 and has been impressed with how the new skipper has responded since being handed the armband.
‘I really like his style, I like his intelligence, the way he moves and always finds pockets of space where you can make the difference in football these days,’ Fabregas told BT Sport. ‘He is very tricky and he has a good eye for the final ball.
‘He also has a lot of responsibility, he was 15 when he made his debut for Norway, he is the captain of Norway, now a very young captain for Arsenal and he is responding very well.
‘I am very happy for him, he reminds me a little of me when he took the armband at 21. ‘It is not easy, it is a very big club and everyone wants results and we expect a big performance from him.
‘Every coach is different and demands different things in different areas and at different times. Arsene [Wenger] always gave me a lot of freedom to be myself.
‘I think Mikel [Arteta] is a little bit ‘it’s his way.’ He doesn’t give the attack many freedom to the players, it is the way he wants the approach from himself, not so much from the players. It is all about him.’
Odegaard was given the armband ahead of players like Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey with Rio Ferdinand suggesting during the summer the responsibility could weigh ‘too heavy’ on the former Real Madrid midfielder.
But the former Manchester United defender concedes he was wrong on that count with Odegaard thriving.
‘I questioned [him being captain], he can go up a level or will it weight too much on his shoulders? I think this season he has proved to everyone that this is what he wants.’
